Thursday’s Headlines Feel the Need for Speed
A new Mineta Transportation Institute report touts the economic and environmental benefits of high-speed rail.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on October 26, 2023
- Investing in high-speed rail would create thousands of jobs and slash greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report. (Smart Cities Dive)
- 1970s environmental laws are now being weaponized to stop new housing construction and transportation projects. (Governing)
- Cities will need more on-street EV charging stations, adding to the competition for already cluttered curbside space. (Transportation for America)
- The New York Times‘ Jamelle Bouie writes about how poorly designed streets and ever-larger SUVs endanger pedestrians.
- Unhoused people are at extreme risk of being killed by drivers, but more data is needed to truly understand the problem. (Streetblog USA)
- California regulators ordered Cruise’s autonomous vehicles off the streets after the company withheld video of one of its cars dragging a pedestrian. (Vice)
- A married couple was killed during a bike ride in California when they were hit by lumber falling off a truck. (New York Post)
- University of Minnesota students and staff can now use their college IDs to board Minneapolis buses and trains for free. (MinnPost)
- Atlanta’s neighborhood representatives overwhelmingly support light rail on the Beltline walking and biking trail. (Saporta Report)
- Seattle will have to return $7 million in federal grants for a streetcar if it doesn’t come up with matching funds soon. (The Urbanist)
- Miami-Dade buses will be fare-free for the rest of the year. (Herald)
- Reno officials approved a downtown bike network. (KUNR)
- A D.C. council member wrote about how he got around without driving for a week. (Greater Greater Washington)
- Melbourne’s trams are hit by cars about three times a day, and a newly designed model will be easier to repair. (The Age)
- In the Estonian capital of Tallinn, going fare-free a decade ago didn’t take cars off the road; transit ridership has actually dropped. Improving service and charging drivers more has a greater impact. (Fast Company)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
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